Blog Roundup
This past season has been a very enjoyable one for me and I want to thank all the other Wings’ bloggers for everything they’ve done all year. When I started BTJ, there were only two Wings’ blogs (On the Wings & BTJ) and today the number of Wings’ bloggers alone has significantly increased. It’s great being able to go to all these various blogs to read different perspectives about a new signing, reaction to a game, etc. for your favorite team.
On the Wings: This is the first Red Wings’ blog that I found and I even wrote there before starting BTJ. Matt and the gang offer the most thorough game recaps that I’ve read out of any hockey blog. Want to know what happened during a playoff or regular season game? Go to OTW. Their game recaps include every key penalty, play, and goal that you would want to know about. Plus, they provide coverage on the latest Wings’ news and even talk about the Wings’ AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. (BTB)
Abel to Yzerman: Bill (aka IwoCPO) is definitely the most entertaining Wings’ blogger out there. Whether he’s pleased with a signing or stressed out about an impending game, A2Y expresses everything you want to say and says it better than you could’ve yourself. He’s the only blogger that I’ve read something and literally laughed out loud. A2Y offers a unique look at news and provides very unique postgame recaps. (BTB)
Snapshots: George is the Wings’ blogger for MLive.com. He posts over 10 times a day (it seems) and is a wonderful resource for finding the latest Wings’ news. While I read the Free Press, Booth Newspapers, and Detroit News’ Wings coverage everyday, Snapshots points me to relevant articles in other newspapers across the country and I’ve made many posts from articles Snapshots pointed to.
Gorilla Crouch: Dave started this blog back in September and I’ve been consistently impressed with his thorough analysis of news and game day recaps. Not only does Dave discuss Wings’ news in detail, he also will post about other teams including the other Detroit professional teams and UM sports. I look forward to reading another season full of analysis, opinion, and reaction. (BTB)
Gloveside: Johnny & Brennan started blogging about the Wings in November and have quickly become known for their sharp wit and postgame haikus. They make fun of an opposing team’s player in “The Dunk Tank.” They’ve poked fun at Chris Pronger and Jarome Iginla this postseason. (BTB)
Kukla’s Korner: Okay, KK is not a Wings’ blog, but the blogger (Paul) is a Wings’ fan and points to a lot of Wings’ related articles for us bloggers. He works around the clock to keep everybody updated on the latest NHL news. (BTB)
No Pun Intended: Steph and Elly run a fun blog that posts game recaps and even makes fun of the opposing squad. Steph’s hatred for Chris Pronger and love for Wings’ rookie Jiri Hudler is pretty obvious. Both bloggers are Wings’ fans first and foremost, but also enjoy watching and writing about many of the other NHL teams (primarily some of them in the Eastern Conference).
And here are my favorite blogs from the Wings’ opponents this postseason:
Battle of California, Sharkspage, Ducks Blog, Flames Blog, and Double (d)ion.
Ilitch buys another property
The Ilitch family bought another empy downtown property through Ilitch Holding’s Olympia Development LLC real estate arm. This purchase only fueled speculation the Ilitch family will be building a new hockey arena for the Detroit Red Wings to use when their lease with Joe Louis Arena expires in 2009.
The historic building is next to the former Chin Tiki, recently bought by Olympia for Ilitch Holdings, owners of the Little Caesars Pizza chain, the Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Hockeytown Cafe and Fox Theatre.
The Moose lodge is three blocks west of the Fox Theatre headquarters of Ilitch Holdings in a blighted 15-block area the Ilitches view as a potential major hub of entertainment, sports and retail.
The Ilitches also recently won the right to renovate the city-owned Grand Army of Republic building, which is bounded by the three-way intersection of Cass, Grand River and West Adams. It’s a block away from the Moose building.
The flurry of activity comes at a time when the Ilitch family is fast approaching a deadline on whether to build a hockey venue or renovate Joe Louis Arena.
SI Letter to the Editor
In this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated, a reader of the magazine sent in the following letter to the editor:
Pierre McGuire asserts that the empty seats at Red Wings plyoff games are attributable to the downturn in the Detroit economy (INSIDE THE NHL, May 7). While that may be a convenient explanation, the truth is, the empty seats reflect the declining popularity of the NHL even in Hockeytown. The Pistons had no trouble selling out 41 regular season and their playoff games this year in an arena that seats 2,000 more than the Red Wings’ does, and the Tigers, on the heels of winning the 2006 pennant, saw their attendance increase more than 10,000 per game through the first 17 games of the season compared with the first 17 games of 2006.
- David Schmidt, Harleysville, Pa.
It is comments exactly like those that irk me so much. I do not deny that hockey is no longer the #1 sports attraction in Detroit, but when someone throws out the poor economy reason it really bothers me. And these people tend to live outside the state of Michigan. They don’t understand how sucky this economy is. I won’t repeat what I wrote about a month ago, but Detroit’s economy is one of the worst. According to AAA, Michigan has the highest gas prices in the country.
Statewide, the average price for a gallon of regular gas is $3.53 — a penny higher than Illinois. The national average is $3.23 a gallon.
Indiana and Wisconsin are the third- and fourth-highest ranked states. The Midwest is often subject to high and low swings in gas prices because it essentially sits at the end of Gulf Coast pipelines.
When supplies are tight, as they are now, Great Lakes states often must pay a premium to get gas here, said Doug MacIntyre, senior oil market analyst with the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
It cost me $73 to fill up my gas tank (I drive a Mercury Mountaineer) this week. If I have to choose between filling up my tank or buying tickets to a hockey game, I have to go with the gas money because I need to get to class and work. That is the dilemma many people are currently facing in the state of Michigan.
When the Wings’ ticket prices are so much more than the Tigers’ and Pistons’ tickets, it’s no wonder why the other teams are doing better in terms of attendance. For example, the cheapest tickets for a Wings’ game in the WCF was $100 + service charges. Cheapest for the Pistons? $24. In fact, you could get first row in the upper bowl for $85! That’s a big difference in ticket prices.
Like I said, I sadly agree that the Wings are no longer the best selling team in Detroit, but the empty seats do not truly reflect a lack of desire from fans to attend these hockey games. There just aren’t as many hockey fans who can afford those seats. Hopefully, owner Mike Ilitch will lower the playoff ticket prices and get back to selling out playoff games. And for the record, the Wings have had over 400 straight regular season game sellouts so it has a lot to do with the prices of the playoff tickets in a poor economy.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
I made a list of the good, the bad, and the ugly after last year’s disappointing playoff exit and decided to go with the same format again this year for my postseason wrap up. There is definitely a lot more good points this year than what you saw after the 2006 playoff exit. I know this is a lengthy post, but I wanted to make sure I did this wrap up justice. I also realize that I did not mention every single Red Wings player. The post would have been much longer had I done so.
I encourage you guys to leave a comment with your own the good, the bad, and the ugly list regarding the Red Wings’ regular season and playoffs. Feel free to disagree with me, but please explain why you do in your comment!
The Good
No. 5 - Nick Lidstrom. The new captain of the Red Wings stepped up this year leading the team into the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2001-2002 season. He played great defensive hockey all year and really piled on the minutes in the playoffs after Mathieu Schneider and Brett Lebda were injured. Lidstrom averaged 30:37 minutes per game to lead the team. Schneider came in second with 23:35. He even led the team in offensive points with 18 (4 goals, 14 assists). I think that whenever he retires, the Wings are going to have a huge hole to fill defensively that it’ll probably take a couple years to bounce back from that. Hopefully, we can take advantage of his presence in the lineup next season.
No. 3 - Andreas Lilja. Yes, he had a horrendous turnover that significantly contributed to our loss in Game #5. However, he completely shocked me with his play this postseason. Last year, I shuddered every time he and Jason Williams had the puck in the playoffs. I had that same fear this year, but Lilja really stepped up. I was really impressed and hope to see him get a roster spot for the entire regular season (instead of being the healthy scratch a lot of the time) plus he got his first career playoff goal in Game #5. He also surprised me with his character. After that bad turnover, he sat in the locker room answering every question from the reporters staying there after 15 minutes of questions when all but two other players had left.
The physical play. A lot of people didn’t believe the Wings could stand up to the big physical teams this postseason. Well, we defeated Calgary and San Jose in 6 games. We lost to the physical Ducks in a close WCF. I was just impressed with how physical the team did play compare to our regular season performances. It was a pleasant surprise and an encouraging sight to see because you knew that this team was different from last year and had a shot in the playoffs. What was even better? Even when we were losing, we didn’t play dirty and try to hurt any other player. For that, I’m pleased that the Wings stayed classy (think Anchorman).
No. 45 - Kyle Quincey. When Brett Lebda injured his ankle, the Wings called up Kyle Quincey from Grand Rapids. He played in his first NHL playoff game and continued to impress throughout the playoffs. Even though Lebda was able to return, Quincey then stepped in for Mathieu Schneider who fractured his wrist in multiple spots. I saw Quincey as a stay at home defenseman who didn’t turn the puck over much or make a lot of stupid mistakes. He only had one penalty in the two series he played in. I liked how calm and collected he was in his first postseason. You could tell he was getting more comfortable in his role on the team when he started getting some scoring chances. I hope we see a lot more of him in the red and white next season.
No. 39 - Dominik Hasek. (aka the Skeletor) GM Ken Holland knew he was taking a risk when he signed Hasek to a low one year contract with plenty of bonus incentives. Much to my delight, Hasek was able to stay healthy throughout the entire regular season and played a big role in the playoffs for us. Yes, he allowed some stupid goals. Sometimes he was the crazy Czech who frustrated the opponent and won the game for us. Other times, he was the insane old man throwing his stick, wandering out into the wide open ice, and flopping like a fish trying to draw a penalty. Don’t get me wrong, I hope he returns for another year because prospect Jimmy Howard is not yet ready for the NHL, but I sometimes found myself yelling at the TV because of Hasek’s antics. Admittedly, these same antics also make him the crazy good goalie that he is so I shouldn’t complain too much.
Game #3 vs. Anaheim. Yes, the glorious 5-0 victory over the Ducks. We saw Tomas Holmstom get up from a nasty hit and consequent cut from Chris Pronger and Rob Niedermayer. We saw plenty of goals. We saw a frustrated Anaheim squad. It was the most enjoyable game of the postseason for me.
No. 96 - Tomas Holmstrom. He really showed people his prowess in front of the opponent’s net this postseason with his great play on the top line. Did anyone else notice that Homer didn’t seem himself after that Pronger/Niedermayer hit? I wonder if he had a problem bouncing back after that hit. Anyways, he is one of the biggest bargains on the team and I’m happy that he’s sticking around for awhile. He had five goals and three assists in the post season. Homer was only behind the Eurotwins in terms of leading scorers this postseason.
No. 11 - Dan Cleary. He had some big goals this postseason. He was gritty and hustled around the ice. I think he impressed a lot of people with his play. Cleary scored four goals and notched eight assists. After the Calgary series, I probably would’ve named him team MVP. He’s “Dan the Man.”
Proving the critics wrong. Did the Wings win the Stanley Cup? No. Is there room for improvement? Yes. But pretty much no one in the mass media predicted the Wings to do this well and come close to winning the WCF. The Wings were underdogs in each series they played in and they won the first two and that’s an accomplishment in itself. I just hope the team can improve on it in the upcoming season and take it a step further in the playoffs.
No. 24 - Chris Chelios. He stepped up in terms of ice time and veteran leadership this postseason. With an injured Mathieu Schneider, he filled in on the power play. He might not be the player he once was, but it was nice to see him out there paired with a younger defenseman. It gave me some confidence knowing that Cheli was there in case things started to go wrong. He finished the postseason with a +7 (second best on the team). Lidstrom had a +/- of zero to give you an indication of how Cheli performed. GM Ken Holland has expressed a desire to re-sign Chelios this summer and I agree. With his low salary and great health, I don’t see how you could turn him down.
No. 51 - Valtteri Filppula. I really didn’t have any expectations for him this postseason. As a rookie, he wasn’t expected to get a ton of ice time and I would’ve been happy if he had just played some simple hockey. He definitely played a lot better than I ever would have predicted. Filppula had three goals and two assists. He could’ve had a lot more if he would’ve finished some of his stupendous moves. I look forward to watching him grow and mature over the next season and hopefully he’ll capitalize on his skillful stickwork in the 2008 playoffs.
No. 93 - Johan Franzen. He led the team with a +8 rating. He scored three goals and notched four assists including one overtime goal and two game winners. So Franzen definitely showed up when it counted and was certainly a clutch player. It was only his second year in the postseason so I expect great things from him in the future!
No. 30 - Chris Osgood. I know he didn’t have a minute of ice time during the postseason, but he did a great job in his role. He supported, pushed, and encouraged Hasek, but did not cause any awkwardness or hold any disdain toward Hasek. Plus, I think he did a lot to welcome Todd Bertuzzi to the team. I heard numerous instances where Ozzie had joked around with Bertuzzi to lighten the mood in the locker room (ie. placing his gear in Bertuzzi’s locker stall because he couldn’t get to his due to reporters). I remember seeing Bertuzzi throw a stuffed animal (that rally purple octopus) at Osgood at the end of a game during the SJ series (I believe).
The Bad
Injuries. Considering all the injuries we had, I’m impressed we were that close to heading to the SCF. I’m not trying to use injuries as an excuse for the loss as clearly the Anaheim Ducks had a reason for our series loss. But what other team would’ve played as well as we did with the loss of two of their top four defensemen? We lost Niklas Kronwall before the playoffs began to a broken sacrum and we lost veteran Mathieu Schneider in the San Jose series to a broken wrist. We were fortunate that Brett Lebda was able to come back when he did from his ankle injury. I remember reading a quote somewhere that said if it had been the regular season, he probably would’ve missed a month or so of action. Instead, he missed only a couple games. Todd Bertuzzi missed the first two games from concussion symptoms and then almost missed the last game due to back spasms. Tomas Holmstrom missed some time due to an accidental high stick in the Calgary series. It’s been rumored that Kyle Calder has a broken hand and that Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg’s has been bothering them during the playoff run. Obviously, every team has those little injuries that are hidden until the end of the postseason, but the Wings obviously weren’t close to 100% in terms of health.
No. 20 - Robert Lang. Yes, he had a couple huge goals. But for the most part, he seemed non-existent. In the past, I have cut Lang some slack for his mediocre play in the regular season because he’d bring it in the postseason. Not so much this year. I hope that GM Ken Holland does not re-sign Lang this summer. I don’t think his attitude meshes well with head coach Mike Babcock’s attitude.
No. 44 - Todd Bertuzzi. Unlike Lang, I want to see Holland re-sign Big Bert for one more year at a much lower salary because I think once he regains health, he can have a nice supportive and physical role on the team. Unfortunately, his back has not completely healed yet and he suffered a concussion right before the playoffs. Since he wasn’t 100%, we didn’t see the Big Bert I had hoped for. While it wasn’t a complete loss, I thought it took him awhile to get comfortable on the ice and turned the puck over numerous times (including a key one near the start of Game #4 vs. Anaheim).
Lack of conversion on opportunities. Whether it was the many power plays given to us against Anaheim or the suspension of Chris Pronger, it was definitely frustrating to see the Wings fail to capitalize on these various opportunities. I would also include the failing to hold off the Ducks in Game #5 when the team held a 1-0 lead for a lot of the game.
The Ugly
Dirty play. I know fans of the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks may disagree with me, but I didn’t like that two dirty plays that took place against the Wings earned a lot of TV time when the hockey game itself did not. In Game #5 of the series against the Flames, backup goaltender Jamie McLennan came in for 18 seconds and then slashed Johan Franzen in his midsection. He was given a five game suspension. During that game, there was also a questionable butt-end motion by Jarome Iginla on Schneider and a suckerpunch to Brett Lebda’s head from Daymond Langkow. Against Anaheim, Chris Pronger and Rob Niedermayer hit Tomas Holmstrom at about the same time. Pronger’s hit was (in my mind) a nasty hit. The NHL agreed and gave him a one game suspension. Unfortunately for Detroit, they could not capitalize on his absence.
Brett Hull’s comments. When Hull was on the Wings, I liked the guy. I liked his big mouth because it made for entertaining quotes and sound bites on TV. I obviously liked the sniper-like edge he brought to the 2001-2002 team. Unfortunately, I did not appreciate his big mouth of late as a member of the NBC broadcast team. Before the start of the playoffs, he remarked that Datsyuk would not re-sign with the Wings. He was wrong as GM Ken Holland announced that same week Datsyuk had signed a seven year deal worth $46.9 million. Oops! Then during the Anaheim series, he really didn’t give much credit to the Ducks and gave them some ammunition and motivation to prove Hull wrong.
Slow starts. It has been a team problem throughout the entire postseason. A slow start by the team gives the opposing squad either an early lead or at the very least, plenty of scoring chances. Sometimes the team couldn’t come back and other times they were able to overcome early deficits later in the game. It definitely made it a lot harder on the team to win a game.
No. 17 - Kyle Calder. I don’t know if Calder has a broken hand. He has not confirmed that injury, but it has been widely rumored. He averaged only 8:18 per game and was pulled during the Anaheim series. Before Calder was benched, he was only playing five minutes or less per game. He had one assist, eight penalty minutes, and only 13 shots in the 13 games he played. If he was playing injured, I’ll cut him some slack. If he wasn’t, I’d be okay with letting him go this summer. I still am pleased with acquiring him at the trade deadline because we got rid of Jason Williams who had another year left in his contract. I’m in favor of giving a prospect Calder’s roster spot if he’s going to get so little ice time anyways.
and the Mediocre…
Penalty kill. The Wings were 8th out of the 16 playoff teams in terms of penalty kill success. They had an 86.8% success rate. It was better than San Jose, equal to Calgary, and slightly worse than Anaheim’s. It wasn’t the reason for the Wings’ series loss to Anaheim, but they allowed some unfortunate goals that came at bad times.
No. 95 - Danny Markov. He had a few rough moments during the postseason, but overall I was pleased with his play. He was physical, but so much that it hurt his defensive play. He was a -2 during the 18 playoff games, but I felt he was more good than he was bad. But I wouldn’t say he was outstanding. Markov only had a one year contract and unless we can grab a better physical defenseman this offseason, I would go with re-signing Markov.
No. 40 - Henrik Zetterberg. Now don’t get me wrong, Hank played well this postseason and will become a great leader for this team. No doubt. I was just disappointed with his play on the road. It wasn’t until the Wings’ last period of the postseason that Zetterberg scored his first goal on the road. Not so good when you go missing for 8 road games. It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if Datsyuk hadn’t had the same offensive problem on the road. Hank had 14 points in 18 games (6 goals and 8 assists).
No. 13 - Pavel Datsyuk. I’m putting him in the “mediocre” category for the same reason as Hank. Where was he on the road? He did excellent at home, but we missed him in 8 of our 9 away games and it noticeably hurt our team when your two offensive leaders (excluding Lidstrom) weren’t putting the puck in the net on the road. Datsyuk had eight goals and eight assists in 18 games. Two of those goals were game winners and four came while the team was on the power play. He scored two goals on the road in the last game of the playoffs.
No. 37 - Mikael Samuelsson. I felt Sammy’s play improved as the playoffs went on. He averaged 15:26 minutes of ice time per game and finished the playoffs with 11 points (3 goals and 8 assists). Sammy had one game winning goal and was a +2.
Coaching. Don’t get me wrong, I like what head coach Mike Babcock has done with the team. No one predicted the Wings going as far as they did and you have to give a lot of credit to the different coaching style (compared to Dave Lewis’ style). We all saw how his line changing resulted in a 5-0 win over Anaheim. Unfortunately, he struggled to get the team to start off the game on the right foot especially in the series eliminating game and that hurt the team. I do believe he is the right coach for the team.
Overall
I definitely enjoyed this season and our postseason run. I’m proud of the team and the success they had in the playoffs despite the many key injuries on the team. Obviously, I had hoped and dreamed of a Stanley Cup victory, but they definitely helped distract us Michiganders from our economical worries. I look forward to another successful season for the red and white.
Go Wings!
Deja Vu: Pistons 79, Cavs 76
Another close game in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and another victory for the Pistons. Interestingly enough, the first two games ended with the exact same score for each team. 79-76. How often does that happen?
I’m not basketball wizard, but both games probably should’ve gone to the Cavs (moreso for the first game) but the Pistons were able to edge out a victory to go up 2-0 in the ECF.
Dana Wakiji wrote the following in a liveblog for The Detroit News:
To use his words, Rasheed Wallace is one incredible cat. That dude knows no fear and he is the reason the Pistons are up 2-0 in this series. That turnaround jumper falling down almost with 24.3 seconds left gave them the lead. He had 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. He also got that last rebound. All I can say is WOW.
I promise to update this post on Friday with game recaps from the Detroit Pistons’ bloggers and local newspapers.
Update:
Natalie @ Need4Sheed:
Rasheed was the Pistons high scorer with 16 points, but his defense is what has been coming up big this series. In fact there has been a Need 4 Sheed this whole playoff run. …
Mr Wallace, who hit the off balance game winning shot over LeBron, was happy that Varejoke tried his patented flop move. It just make it easier for Sheed to sink the shot while Varejoke was crying on the floor. Everyone knows you game Clown Shoes, it doesn’t fly here in Detroit.
Matt @ Detroit Bad Boys:
For the second game in a row, Maxiell was an absolute difference maker. In Game 1, it happened down the stretch in the fourth quarter, doing all of the little things that aren’t always reflected in a box score. In Game 2, though, he entered the game early, taking over for an injured Antonio McDyess midway through the first quarter and announcing his presence with a flurry of vicious dunks. He’s a baaaad man, making King James look all silly and whatnot in that poster-worthy shot above.
During his first 12-minute stint, Maxiell had four dunks among five shots, including one coming on an alley-oop and another on a fast break (which he triggered, by the way, picking LeBron James’ pocket on the other end). All in all, it was a good day to be Jason Maxiell and a bad day to be an infant hailing from Cleveland: he finished the game with 15 points, six boards and two blocks (a would-be third rejection was called goaltending) in just 22 minutes. The only mark on his game was his 1-6 performance at the free-throw line, but seriously, you can live with that on days you get all of the other stuff.
The funny thing is that Maxiell wasn’t even supposed to be in the game: after Rasheed Wallace was tagged with two quick fouls, McDyess entered the game, but he lasted just 90 seconds before taking a Zydrunas Ilgauskas elbow to the jaw, which left him shaken and (if I saw things correctly) bloodied. But even if he wasn’t the first or second option, he ended up being the best one. The Pistons missed his energy after he left the game four minutes into the second quarter, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that his absence coincided with Cleveland’s storming out to a 12-point lead heading into halftime.
Chris McCosky @ The Detroit News:
The score was the same, the Pistons wound up on the plus side of both, and in both, the ball was in LeBron James’ hands in the final seconds.
In Game 1, the controversy was whether James should have passed the ball. This time he didn’t pass — and the controversy is whether he was fouled by Richard Hamilton.
“It could have gone either way,” Wallace said. “It could have been a foul on Rip or it could have been a foul on LeBron with that off arm. I mean, it was just a playoff call, I’ll say that. It was a good no-call.”
Only two teams in the history of the NBA have returned from a 2-0 deficit in the conference finals (it happened in 1971 and 1993). It’s looking good for the Pistons.
Mitch Albom @ the Detroit Free Press:
Thursday was Joe Dumars’ 44th birthday, and as he sat watching his team, his gifts to the Pistons — his decisions — were coming back to him. One was Rasheed Wallace, a guy he traded for when everyone advised against it. The other was Jason Maxiell, a guy he drafted who most of the fans had never heard of.
Those acquisitions were on full display in Game 2. On a night more schizophrenic than beautiful, Wallace got it started, Maxiell took it over and Wallace finished it.
What amazing performances by these two. Wallace, who finished with 11 rebounds and 16 points, was white-hot intense in the final period — in which he scored 10 points and snagged six rebounds. He had strong rebounds, made a great block, stole the ball and went coast-to-coast off the glass — Rasheed coast-to-coast? — and he hit the biggest shot of all, a pull-up over James with only 24 seconds left. That shot came after his dumb pass that turned the ball over to Cleveland.
“Whoever turned it over has to get the ball back,” Wallace explained afterward.
Or, as Hamilton told TNT: “When he’s mad, nobody in the world can stop him. He was mad. He was pissed off.”
Or as Chauncey Billups later said: “Rasheed just never ceases to amaze me.”
That sums it up, doesn’t it?
Drew Sharp @ the Detroit Free Press:
They’re winning, yet this series nonetheless feels like it’s slipping away.
They’re 2-0 in this Eastern Conference final — quite possibly the luckiest 2-0 you’ve ever seen from a team with home court — but you couldn’t help but come way from another 79-76 heart-thumper believing that if the Pistons don’t squeeze Cleveland’s throat in Game 3 they still might lose this series.
They need Chauncey Billups. They need Chris Webber.
The benefit of a team sharing the load is that you get nights like this where Rasheed Wallace had one of those I-can-be-the-superstar-when-I-want fourth quarters or Jason Maxiell can emerge from the obscurity of the bench and provide the necessary push.
But Billups is the engine, and he’s sputtering still. If Webber’s going to take 13 shots — 12 from near the basket — he had better make far more than the four he did Thursday night.
“We’re fortunate,” coach Flip Saunders said.
Memorial Cup update
Unfortunately due to my busy schedule, I haven’t posted much on the Plymouth Whalers and their play in the Memorial Cup tournament being held in Vancouver right now.
Here’s how they stand right now:
The Whalers lost their first game to the hometown Vancouver Giants in overtime, 4-3, last Friday.
Defenceman Brett Bellemore of the Plymouth Whalers made the wrong read at the wrong time Friday night.
He attempted to fire a clearing attempt around the boards but the puck wound up in his net in a 4-3 Vancouver Giants overtime victory in the opening game of the Memorial Cup.
It was a play coach Michael Vellucci cautioned his defencemen against throughout the game.
Vancouver winger J.D. Watt intercepted the pass along the side boards and set up Kenndal McArdle for the winning goal.
“We talked about it all night,” Vellucci said. “It happened five or six times where both (defencemen) got caught in the same corner.
“We talked about it before the overtime to make sure we didn’t do that but … Bellemore’s been a steady defenceman for us all year and I think he just got a little sucked over by following the puck.”
It was also a game of missed opportunities for the Whalers even though they scored on three consecutive power plays.
They played again Monday and lost in regulation to the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-1.
The Medicine Hat Tigers were halfway around the track before the Plymouth Whalers got out of the gate at the Memorial Cup on Monday.
The Western Hockey League champion Tigers raced to a two-goal lead in the first five minutes en route to a 4-1 win over the Ontario Hockey League’s Whalers.
Tyler Ennis, a 17-year-old from Edmonton, paced the Tigers with two goals and two assists in the game.
“Huge start. We wanted to come out hard in the first five,” Ennis said. “Getting two quick was big for us and we tried not to sit on that lead.”
During the third period of that game, things got a bit heated and both teams were fined $500 for what took place.
The Medicine Hat Tigers and Plymouth Whalers were each fined $500 at the Memorial Cup on Tuesday for the ruckus that broke out with about five minutes to go in their game the previous day.
Pushing, shoving and other extracurricular activities during a whistle at 15:01 of the third period stopped just short of a line brawl. Three minor penalties and four misconducts were handed out to both teams.
Plymouth finally won on Tuesday over the Lewiston MAINEiacs in overtime, 2-1 to keep their tournament hopes alive.
They play tonight against Lewiston in the Tie Breaker Game with the winner facing Vancouver in the semifinals. The official Memorial Cup website posted a preview for the game here. Due to their success in the round robin play, Medicine Hat has already earned a spot in the Memorial Cup finals.
The director of communications @ Plymouth, Pete Krupsky, has been doing a “blog” for the Memorial Cup and you can check it out here.
Since the game started at 7:30pm (PST), I will not be staying up to see the final game score tonight. I will update this post with the score on Friday. Until then, you should be able to view the live scoreboard here.
Update: The Whalers defeated Lewiston, 5-1, last night to earn a spot in the semifinals. They will play Vancouver tonight. Sportsnet has video highlights of the game. The Canadian Press has a recap of the game and check out Lewiston’s goaltender’s injury - man that sounds like it hurts!
The Whalers scored two goals in the first nine minutes and held a 3-0 edge going into the third period for their best start of the tournament.
”It’s the first time we’ve done it,” Whalers forward Tom Sestito said. ”When we’re behind we start to panic and everyone tries to do it themselves, but we stuck together as a team and we got the lead tonight.”
Sestito, a Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick, opened the scoring and finished with two goals and an assist. Those were his first goals of the tournament.
James Neal, property of the Dallas Stars, had two goals, including an empty-netter, to give him five in the tournament, and Evan Brophey also scored for the Whalers.
”I was kind of embarrassed that I wasn’t getting goals, but James has played well and is a big help for us,” Sestito said.
Lewiston goaltender Jonathan Bernier was pulled after the first period after allowing two goals on 13 shots.
He was suffering from an infection in his right foot and told head coach Clement Jodoin he could no longer stand on it after the first 20 minutes.
Whalers’ celebration banquet
This Wednesday, May 30th, the Plymouth Whalers are hosting a celebration banquet at Laurel Manor from 6-9pm to honor the team’s success this season as OHL Champs. I’m looking forward to going to the celebration on Wednesday!
Fans don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the Whalers 2006-07 season with players and staff at Laurel Manor on Wednesday, May 30 from 6-9 p.m. Relive and celebrate the championship season while enjoying great food, music, and memories. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by contacting the box office at 734-453-8400.
Fan Appreciation Day will be on June 16th (a Saturday). I’ll be sure to post more information about the event when I see it.
WCF Game #6 reaction
I’m currently working on a season wrap up, but until it’s completed here is a round up of the hockey blogosphere as well as the mass media.
Dave @ Gorilla Crouch:
This was a season of transition for the Red Wings. The two most popular players on the team departed, with Steve Yzerman retiring to join the front office and Brendan Shanahan signing with the New York Rangers. There were legitimate questions about whether the team would even make the playoffs. To the organization’s credit they responded by winning the top seed in the Western Conference and advancing to the Western Conference Finals against the Ducks. It was the first time the team advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since the 2001-02 season.
Anaheim clearly deserved to win the series but as a Red Wings fan I have to say that I wasn’t concerned about Detroit’s ability to compete with the Ducks. That wasn’t the case in previous playoff losses to Anaheim following the 2002-03 season, Calgary following the 2003-04 season, or Edmonton last year. So suffice it to say I think Mike Babcock deserves a lot of credit for how the team performed both during the regular season and in the playoffs. I can honestly say there isn’t a coach in the NHL I’d rather have than Mike Babcock.
IwoCPO @ Abel to Yzerman:
If you don’t realize that The Kick To The Groin had everything to do with the listless first two periods of Game 6, then you’re misguided.
It stuck with them and they couldn’t shake it until it was too late. And it wasn’t Lilja’s mistake that will be the wretched memory of this series. It wasn’t Lilja’s lapse in judgment or the steal from Selanne and that eventual goal.
Nope. The image that will stay with us like Larry Bird and Dennis Johnson, and like Darrell Evans getting picked off third, will be that bastard of a fluttering puck floating over a suspended Dominik Hasek, moving so slowly that it took us all a moment to realize that it was even real. The OT loss was almost inevitable. Allowing Anaheim to tie Game 5, after multiple attempted clears and maybe even one offsides, was the beginning of the end.
Because no matter what Ted Kulfan told us, or Helene St. James or Ansar Khan. No matter the descriptions they gave of a confident plane ride and an upbeat Babcock, it was Game 5 at the Joe that really did us in.
Despite an effort from two kids that came of age in the third period of Game 6, they didn’t have enough to overcome the absolute disaster of Game 5, The Kick To The Groin.
Matt @ On the Wings:
Well. That sucked. Not a very good way to go out, to be honest, though the end was certainly breathless.
Thank you Red Wings for the extended playoff run. Thanks for giving us a chance to hope again. Thanks for fighting through two tough rounds and for making it interesting in the third. Thank you for waking up in the third period and making it a game, long after many of us had given up. Thank you for a great season. I hope it was the beginning of something, that this wasn’t the end of it.
Congratulations to the Ducks. I thought you guys were fortunate to win Games 4 and 5, but you definitely deserved to win Game 6. Good luck in the Finals against the Senators. I have a feeling you’re going to need it. Go Senators!
Steph @ No Pun Intended:
Christy wrote everything else I wanted to say about the game right here including but not limited to what happens when you play like ass for fifty minutes of a game and how ten minute comebacks against the Ducks only work if you’re the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Hockey Gods are looking down at you with pity in their eyes and thinking “Wow do they ever need a reason to keep living.” It was too little too late, guys, but thanks for those few minutes of anticipating glory and at least ending the season flying high.
Daniel @ Ducks Blog:
Everything about this series screamed inconsistancy, but that doesn’t really matter now does it? I got it right with Ducks in six, but I sure didn’t invision it happening like this. This is the team you will see against Ottawa on Monday. Congratulations to the Ducks, I was very humbled tonight by this team, I thouhgt they down right sucked in every game except the first one. You saw the best and the worst of this team and I hope Ottawa took some notes, because it wont be pretty, hell I don’t even think it will be close. More to come tomorrow, sleepy time. I get to use the Stanley Cup Finals category soon, yes!
Finny @ Girl with a Puck:
Spirits high due to having a SH goal, the Ducks soared onward to pad the lead in the second with a hard-working whack from sophomore Corey Perry. Linemate Ryan Getzlaf assisted on the goal and found the back of the net in order to make the score 3-0 in Anaheim’s favor.
Yet, the Wings would not bow down and worship at the skates of the incomparable Scott Niedermayer and Samuel Pahlsson. They battled back with goals from Henrik Zetterberg and a pair from Pavel Datsyuk, giving Ducks fans a bit to sweat about in the final moments of Game 6.
On their feet, fans screamed and hollered (in my case, to the point where I may have possibly pulled a muscle doing so), and eventually, in those final seconds when WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS were on the tips of our tongues, we jumped, screamed, and basically erupted with excitement.
Ansar Khan has some great series analysis @ MLive.com:
This year, the Wings had an excellent chance to get back to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 2002 and win it all. And they felt they deserved a better fate after being eliminated by Anaheim following Tuesday’s 4-3 loss in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.
The Ducks started strong, outplaying the Wings in the first two games. But, the Wings took over the series in Game 3. They were, for the most part, faster, more energetic and deeper. They looked to be the better team, but the better team doesn’t always win in the NHL playoffs.
The Wings will look back at this series as a golden opportunity that slipped through their grasp. But, unlike those other teams that underachieved in the postseason, this club acquitted itself well. It did better than most anticipated during a transitional season after losing franchise cornerstones Steve Yzerman to retirement and Brendan Shanahan to free agency.
“It says a lot about us reaching as far as we did,” captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. “A lot of people didn’t think we could do that.”
Ted Kulfan @ The Detroit News:
The sports landscape just got a little lighter for Detroit sports fans.
The Red Wings saw their season end Tuesday, but not without a fight, losing 4-3 to Anaheim.
The Wings lost the Western Conference finals in six games.
After a season in which the Wings battled through numerous challenges and much adversity, the Wings almost pulled through in their most important game.
“It’s very disappointing ,” goalie Dominik Hasek said. “It’s sad to lose that game and go home. We came back in the third and you hope for something but unfortunately the season is over.”
Helene St. James @ Detroit Free Press:
Dominik Hasek pinpointed the problem over and over in recent days, emphasizing the importance of special teams if the Red Wings wanted to continue their playoff run.
In the end, their failure to launch their powerplay was their undoing. Granted opportunity after opportunity to make a difference Tuesday, it stumbled early, and by the time it got going, it was too late.
The Wings fell 4-3 at the Honda Center in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, losing three straight games to drop the series to the Ducks, 4-2.
Bob Wojnowski @ The Detroit News:
The game ended with the Ducks hanging on, as the Wings unleashed a final flourish. It was amazing action as they tried to erase a 4-1 deficit, outshooting Anaheim, 16-3, in the third period, but it was not enough.
“We put everything out there, and we’ve got to be proud of that,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “It was just a little short. It’s really tough when you get this close to the Finals and can’t do it.”
If the Wings showed early what they showed late, they might be preparing for a Game 7. But they were sloppy and slow at the start, while the Ducks showed speed and urgency, determined not to mimic the Wings’ big mistake: You get a team down, you better keep it down.
Mitch Albom @ Detroit Free Press:
And so the first season of the No-Yzerman-No-Shanahan Era comes to an end in Detroit, with many good things and memorable highlights: nice development by the team’s young guns and a return of perhaps the cagiest goalie to wear a Red Wings uniform. And before any critical analysis, we must acknowledge this Detroit team went farther than any since the Stanley Cup-winning squad of 2002.
But while the amazing Lidstrom proved that being shy and humble is no reason you can’t inspire, fans still are left hungry for more in the playoffs from Zetterberg, who scored a goal in the first game of this series, and Datsyuk, who scored one in the second. Neither scored again until Game 6 was out of reach Tuesday night — then they got productive.
Yes, it was great that they led a comeback. But it was, if we’re being honest, too little, too late. If you are going to advance, your big guns have to fire. Your big guns must draw blood. The skill of these two players is hugely apparent. But the productivity has to match the wow factor, or all you have left is highlight footage — none of it involving a Cup.
But that still can come. They still are young. This is a team that had to mix young and old players together, not always easy, and had to play the toughest games without its Nos. 2 and 3 defensemen. And let’s recognize that playoff hockey by nature is such a dicey proposition, a bounce here or there, a hot goalie to shut you down (and the Wings certainly faced that with Giguere).
Wings 3, Ducks 4
Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks, your 2007 Western Conference champs. Game #1 of the SCF will begin Monday night at 8pm (EST) in Anaheim. I’ll have more on that series and predictions in the next couple of days. Interestingly enough, the last time the Sens and Ducks played one another was 16 months ago! I will definitely be rooting for the Senators because I can’t stand the Ducks particularly Chris Pronger.
The Ducks dominated all but the last ten minutes of the game. They definitely earned tonight’s win and played some solid hockey much to my dismay. This post will be brief as I have a German final tomorrow morning. I promise to post more postgame analysis, reaction, as well as an overall look at the Wings’ postseason tomorrow and Thursday.
After an incredibly poor start by the Wings and a strong start by the Ducks, they jumped to an early 1-0 lead. They hit the goalpost twice. They were outhustling, outhitting, and outshooting the Wings. They were winning in all areas. If it weren’t for Hasek, the score could’ve been much higher in the first period.
The Wings only had one shot in their first four power play opportunities according to the Versus broadcasters. Our special teams in the first two periods really hurt us as Anaheim took advantage with both a shorthanded goal and a power play goal as well. At one point, we had just finished killing off a penalty and we got a too many men on the ice penalty. The Ducks promptly scored on that power play opportunity.
The first 40 minutes of the game were incredibly frustrating to me as I felt I wasn’t seeing much intensity or heart/grit from the guys. They definitely showed up in the remaining ten minutes with three goals (two on the power play) and a chance to send the game into overtime in the remaining seconds of the game. Henrik Zetterberg got the first goal 3:15 into the third for the Wings and his Eurotwin, Pavel Datsyuk, scored the other two goals with less than 11 minutes remaining. They pressured JS Giguere a lot in those last ten minutes and he had to make some huge saves to maintain that Ducks’ lead.
Selanne earned another offensive point tonight, an assist on Getzlaf’s goal, giving him six points this series all which came in the last three games (3 goals, 3 assists). Both teams had 29 shots tonight with Giguere making one more save over Hasek. It was Hasek’s first playoff series loss with the Red Wings organization.
While I hated to see that loss (especially since I had bought tickets to the SCF Game #5), I don’t feel as awful as I did in between the second and third period. Let me tell you, that was a sad, depressed, and frustrated Christy. Right now, I’m disappointed and frustrated that the team showed up with a little over ten minutes left in a series eliminating game. But I don’t want to throw anything or hurt anyone so that’s a nice improvement.
Go Wings!
There will be no posting until after the Wings’ game tonight. I know that there has been plenty to talk about since the last game, but I have a German 101 final tomorrow morning and need to spend every minute studying today (until the start of the Wings’ game). I will post plenty tomorrow when I return home after the final. Hopefully, I’ll have a reason to be happy!
Go Wings!!
Pistons 79, Cavs 76
I attended my first Pistons’ playoff game and even though the play itself was ugly on the court, I really enjoyed myself. As a Wings’ fan, I couldn’t help compare the playoff atmosphere from the Joe to the Palace of Auburn Hills. I enjoy the hockey games themselves more, but I definitely enjoy the basketball game atmosphere more.
First off, the Pistons actually have a real pregame show instead of the Wings who sometimes have acrobatic gymnasts perform before the game. I’m not saying those girls aren’t talented, but how in the world is that going to pump anyone up for a hockey playoff game?
Prices were more affordable all around and parking was $5 cheaper than the Joe. Even though I bought my ticket far below face value, it was valued at $85. I was sitting in the first row of the upper bowl in the ECF. To sit in the last row of the upper bowl at a Wings’ WCF game, it’d cost be $100.
If I was a Detroit sports fan who didn’t really prefer one team over another, it would be an easy choice to go to a Pistons’ game because they work to entertain the fans during the game. Plus their music is so much better.
The Pistons may be technically selling out, but there were a ton of empty seats around the arena. Since there are more seats at the Palace than at the Joe, I think the Wings still had more empty seats, but there were plenty of empty chairs at the Pistons game. It’ll be interesting to see how the Lions’ ticket sales do in this upcoming season.
All in all, this was a ridiculously ugly game, living down to the worst expectations of those who would deem the NBA playoffs already over. But you know what? Aesthetics don’t count for jack — a win is a win is a win, especially this far into the playoffs. As the Pistons learned against the Bulls, there’s no bonus points for blowing out your opponent. LeBron should bounce back in Game 2, but so should Chauncey and Tay and McDyess. I’d argue that more went wrong for Detroit than the Cavs in this game … and yet Detroit still won.
There was sweaty-palmed drama at The Palace Monday night, as if everyone was waiting, waiting for LeBron James to rise up, waiting for the Pistons to show up, waiting for anyone to make a shot. James never really arrived but the Pistons did — barely — and edged Cleveland 79-76 in a bare-knuckle opener to the Eastern Conference finals.
The Pistons were not going to let James beat them. They just weren’t. Nope. Uh-uh.
So he didn’t. But his teammates nearly did.
By the end, Chauncey Billups had blood dripping from his nose and the imagery was appropriate. The Pistons took a healthy shot from the upstart Cavaliers and found a way to pull it out. Billups’ three-pointer with 1:52 remaining put Detroit ahead and James had no response — his fate most of the night.
“I’ll tell you what, we played bad enough to lose this game, no question about it,” Billups said. “I think the sign of a really good team is you’ve got to win ugly games, no matter what.”